


This Could Be Us,

by Bam4Me



Series: But You Playin' [1]
Category: teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Alive!Laura, Alpha!Laura, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fox!Stiles, Gen, Pack Cuddles, Sorry Not Sorry, Spark!Stiles, author tried to make sterek actually, but still crazy because i truly believe that wolf has issues, i think it turned out steter though, lesscrazy!peter, lost!stiles, stiles visited peter in the hospital when he was in a coma, werecreature!stiles, werefox, werefox!stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-17
Updated: 2014-09-17
Packaged: 2018-02-17 18:11:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2318636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bam4Me/pseuds/Bam4Me
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles was a born fox, so really, he should NOT be lost right now. And so maybe he's kid of shitty at hunting, that doesn't mean anything. Shut up.</p><p>Stiles just wants to go home to his nice warm bed and eat bacon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Could Be Us,

Stiles growled at the mouse that had once more escaped him, pouncing after it with a renewed fury. It seemed to mock him though, easily getting out from under his paws and scampering off as fast as it's little legs could.

He'd never been good at catching anything bigger than grubs and beetles...

He huffed, thinking about going back home, and sat, his tail curling around his body as he thought to himself. Home always had food.

And dad was always willing to snuggle when Stiles asked for it. (Or when Stiles decided to just take it when he wasn't doing very well with his words.)

And that's where Scott was too, ready to play video games with him and cuddle on the couch (although he didn't exactly know about fox-Stiles, he was still willing to cuddle anyway. It's what surrogate brothers are for.)

Also, sometimes he'd lay outside on the back porch in the sun and tear up the garden. That was fun.

For him. Not for Dad who had to fix it. Oops.

He looked back and forth in the tiny clearing he'd found and sighed as well as a fox could.

Where was home?

***

When the hospital had called to say that his uncle was awake, Derek had mostly just sat in shock, wondering how it could have even happened.

Well, he had some ideas, but he never thought them possible.

His mom had always said the smarter a were was the more control they had over most things they do like healing and the type of transformation they can do.

Derek hadn't ever thought he'd ever meet someone as smart as Peter. It made sense.

But just the call though... Derek had felt like the bottom of his stomach had come out.

Here he was in New York thinking his uncle would never wake up. Sticking to his Alpha's side like glue in desperation. Having watched his younger sister leave the entire continent in sorrow at their loss. It'd never occurred to him that Peter might one day wake up, feeling abandoned by his pack and alone, having lived in his own brain for seven years...

Suitably, Derek felt like a total piece of crap. When he'd told Laura, she obviously seemed to share the sentiments.

Which is partially why he and Laura had expected looks when they finally pulled the van into town, anything really, everything they had gotten from before they had left in the first place. Anything and everything ranging from pitying to dirty... But the town seemed preoccupied.

Strange for a tiny little town that practically lived off of gossip like Beacon Hills. If something else had their attention, it was probably bigger than anything else. When they had first left town, they didn't think anything could top the Hale fire in terms of gossip.

Turns out they found something anyways.

***

"C'mon Derek. The doctors said Peter was looking forward to seeing us." Derek paused before getting out of the car, looking at the hospital worriedly.

For some stupid reason his brain kept taunting him anyways.

What if Peter wasn't awake? What if they had called the wrong family... Derek could have hit himself at the words, thinking he'd probably just die of sorrow right there if he got in there and found his uncle still comatose.

He looked up when Laura hip-checked him and tried to smile at his alpha. "C'mon little brother. He'll be okay. Waiting to see us remember."

Derek nodded and closed his car door, hooking one finger into the belt of her dress like a little kid and following her as she lead him away towards the building.

***

John sighed as he looked at Melissa's worried face, trying not to just break down right there and yell that they would find Stiles and to stop worrying.

Was he worrying? Of-fucking-course he was worrying. He was worrying enough for the entire town twice over thank you very much.

Honestly, at this point he just wanted someone to kick him in the ass and tell him they'd find Stiles alive and maybe a little worse for wear, but still kicking like always.

But no... gone were the days that were's actually lived in this town, and helped each other find their young. John felt like dying just at the thought.

Maybe his men had actually already found his kit, but they just didn't know it was him, because he wasn't human. Maybe some crazy guy in the woods had shot him his first night lost because he thought Stiles was a pest. Maybe-

He cut himself off, looking tired and grouchy as he looked away from Melissa, trying to figure out a way to find his kit.

Or at least find a way to get him to find John.

He looked down the hallway, frowning at the two dark haired adults coming towards the nurses station, recognizing the faces but not quite sure where. They sided up next to him looking at Melissa expectantly.

"We're here to see Peter Hale."

Oh. Maybe he did know these two.

"You two Laura and Derek?" They looked over at him, nodding if not quite smiling at being addressed. He looked up at Melissa who was about to get out from behind the desk to take them. "Melissa, I'll take them if it's alright."

She looked between the three of them, slightly worried again and John couldn't hold back a small smile when she nodded and said okay.

As he lead them down the hallway he finally said 'fuck it' to himself and turned to look them both head on while they walked.

"I know you two are looking forward to seeing your uncle, and he's looking forward to seeing you as well, so I'll be quick and concise." He waited for them to nod warily, probably wondering if the sheriff was about the threaten them about something before he spoke again. "My son, Stiles. You both knew his mother correct?"

They nodded. Caludia Stilinski was been a good friend of their mothers before she'd gotten sick. They knew what she was too.

"Good, then I don't have to explain what you would be looking for. Stiles is missing. Five days as of today. I know he's not dead, in he's in were-form all he has to do is avoid predators and idiots with guns, and I've taught him to do that since he was five. There have been search parties out almost constantly and no body, human or fox has been found, so I'm sure he's still alive." He paused outside the door to Peter's room, looking stricken. "He's lost somewhere, and I'm nothing but a human, and you are the only werewolves in town from what I know. Please, he's just a teenager, so his form is barely more than a kit itself. Could you two just look for me? Keep an eye out for him if nothing. I'm at my last hope right now."

They looked to each other before back to the sheriff, feeling the sorrow coming off of him in waves they hadn't felt since the fire was still scented in the air around the preserve.

"Oh course Sheriff. We'll try to find him. Maybe after we see Peter I'll stop by your place to get a fresh sent on him if you'd like." Laura offered looking pained at the idea of a little kit running around the forest with no one to help should he need it.

John himself looked ready to hug her, but held himself back, nodding at her and Derek, looking close to not breathing at all he was holding it so well.

"Thank you."

***

Peter was already looking at the door when it opened, the book in his lap long since forgotten as he raised an eyebrow at the two standing there looking nervous. 

"Took you two long enough, didn't it? Well, it matters none anyways, when can I leave?"

Derek walked in while Laura nearly dived for the bed, wrapping her arms around Peter's shoulders as soon as she was close enough. Derek just rolled his eyes and sat on his other side, trying to at least be a little less obvious with his scenting, and choosing to lean against him instead. His voice sounded rough from disuse but very steady, as if he'd been practicing.

He probably had.

"The doctor said that if all goes well, you're doing well enough that you could be released in under three days... You heard the sheriff right?"

Peter stiffened before nodding into Laura's neck. "The kit lost in the woods? Yeah I heard. You guys should really be looking for him right away. I'm not going anywhere but he might."

Derek pulled back watching his alpha do the same. Laura looked between Peter and the window, showing thick dark trees outside and frowned. "You sure?"

Peter nodded. "If I was cleared to go already, I'd help you two. Goodness knows Genim deserves people looking for him just as much."

Derek raised an eyebrow. "You know him?"

Peter snorted a little. "Well he was the only one that actually visited me you know."

The two other wolves in the room flinched visibly at the words but Peter didn't look angry. "Why did he visit you?"

Peter shrugged, "Probably because me and Talia knew his mother... You know he'd just sit in here, talking. That boy sure does have a voice on him, can talk for hours it seemed, without pause. When I woke up a few days ago I was going to wait till he came by again and thank him for coming by, it was rather nice and all, kind of grounding in a way. But then he didn't come by. I thought he finally figured out I was awake and decided he wasn't welcome anymore... Listening in to the nurses around the hospital I realized that was not the case... Go."

Derek tilted his head to the side as if deciding if he wanted to or not. Yeah they needed to find the kit and all, but... hadn't he left Peter alone for long enough now?

"No really Derek, go. That kit really does mean a lot to me. I'd probably even cry if I found out he'd gone and gotten himself killed just as I was waking up. Sort of a universal irony and all. Go find and and bring him back to me so I can thank him properly."

Laura nodded, grabbing Derek's hand and pulling him up from the bed. "Don't worry, we'll find him. If he's your pack, he's ours."

***

The sheriff seemed surprised to see them come out so soon, sitting in the waiting room towards the entrance of the building they had come in. "Oh, didn't you two want to spend more time with him?"

They shook their heads "He wanted us to help you. Said a kit shouldn't be all alone in these forests."

John smiled a little and nodded. "I'll just drive home in the cruiser and you two follow then okay?"

"Okay."

***

Stiles' room was a mess. Exactly what one would expect of a teenager, but somehow worse.

Seriously though, it wasn't even messy messy, but it was like a police board had thrown up.

A lot.

Although one thing that was easy enough to find in the room was sent. Derek had found a bag probably from Stiles' gym class, saturated in sent, probably left there before Stiles could get a chance to throw it in the wash, and tossed the shirt at Laura before picking up the shorts for himself, breathing in deeply past the sent of sweat and looking for a more stable sent under it.

It almost came as a shock to see how much like his uncle Stiles had smelled.

Maybe Stiles really was there for Peter more than anyone. It sure smelled like it.

"Got it. Lets go."

***

Stiles huffed as a chipmunk ran past him and leapt. He hadn't been stalking it, but the idea of a nice meal sounded pretty good right now. Actually, it had been sounding good for the past few days, but he's not much for thinking about those things. He ended up chasing it right out of the clearing and into the forest itself. He hoped he didn't get turned around again in the chase, not wanting to end up further away from the town than he already was.

Or maybe he did? Maybe getting lost would get him back home somehow...

Stiles stopped thinking altogether before he gave himself a headache.

Which was probably why it took him by surprise when he ran right into a large black object.

Shaking his head, Stiles looked up at the wall he'd hit and cocked his head realizing it was another were. Not just any were, a werewolf. He looked around seeing another werewolf, much larger than the one he'd run into take off in the other direction, much faster than Stiles could go at all right now.

He was little okay, shut up. No one asked you.

The wolf in front of him shook himself, obviously a little dizzy from their impact and looked down at Stiles before lunging at him, covering most of his body with his own so he would have trouble escaping and settled down over him.

If Stiles wasn't so confused he would have been a little miffed at being trapped. This guy was heavy.

As it was he wriggled under the other were just the same, trying to at least get enough room to breath properly under the weight before looking up to see the larger, red eyed wolf coming towards them again.

With something in it's mouth.

It's wasn't the chipmunk he'd been chasing, but that was okay, whatever this was it seemed much larger... And dripping with blood.

Stiles licked his chops, thinking about how much he wanted the blood dripping animal before the weight settled on top of him lifted. He was about to dart away to get out of their clutches despite his human mind telling him that if they were werewolves they'd help him get home, and his hungry desire for the animal in the alphas mouth, when something stopped him.

The animal (rabbit) landed right in front of him, looking delightful and juicy and smelling wonderful. He looked up at the alpha and beta and was nudged in the back towards the rabbit.

Well, he didn't need to be told twice. To be honest, he was surprised he even needed to be told once with how hungry he was.

***

Derek and Laura settled on either side of the kit, watching him tear into the rabbit hungrily. It was kind of reminiscent actually, thinking of their siblings and cousins, lost in the forest (it happened more often than one would think) and usually found hungry enough to be cranky and uncooperative. The usual thing to do was find them something to eat to make them happy and docile before herding them home.

Laura once had to do it with Derek (Peter had done it countless times with Derek, but lets not talk about that) and Derek had done it for Cora and other assorted cousins.

Derek couldn't help nuzzling into the kit's side, happy with his pleased chirping and watching his body wriggle as he tore into Laura's kill.

Laura on the other hand seemed content to sit back and watch the fox and her brother.

She couldn't remember being this content in a while actually. She had he uncle, and Stiles was found. Maybe the gods were sorry for what they did and wanted to show it.

She couldn't hold back a snort at her own thoughts, making Derek look up at her in question. She shook her head, nuzzling into Derek's neck over Stiles' body and watching Stiles with him.

***

When they finally transformed back after herding the little fox towards where they had parked the van, and gotten changed into real clothes it'd been much later than when they first came in. Nearly midnight and dark as hell. The kit was having trouble keeping his eyes open now that he had a full belly but seemed determined to make it back to the town awake.

"Are you not going to change back Stiles?" Laura questioned the little fox when he sat in the back seat of the car dutifully when they opened the door up to get changed. He looked at her, cocking his head to the side at her words, seeming to be a little dazed and Derek laughed a little, tapping him on the head to get his attention.

"We have clothes if you're worried about being naked." Stiles bristled as if the idea that he would be cautious with his own nudity was ridiculous.

Derek and Laura finished dressing and shrugged at each other. "Well, okay then. But when you get to Deaton's he might make you change back anyways. Always said it's better to look a person as a human to make sure nothing is wrong before letting you go."

Derek put the backpack on the seat next to Stiles, watching him push it against the door when it was closed and use it as a pillow. 

***

Deaton was actually rather surprised to get a call that night asking him to come into the clinic by Laura Hale of all people, wondering when her and her brother had gotten back into town. But when they said they had Stiles Stilinski of all people with them he nearly broke a few speed limits just to get to them.

Maybe he missed the kit a little. Maybe his dad had been talking his ear off for the past week without Stiles to talk with at night. Maybe he just wanted to make sure the little guy was alright... He wasn't admitting to anything.

Getting to the clinic though and ushering the alpha and her beta in through the back door, watching Derek set a squirming bundle of blankets down on the table. He lifted one corner of the blanket and smiled when the little red fox barreled out towards him, yipping the whole way happily and standing on his back legs, putting his paws on Deaton's chest and pushing his head into his hand.

"So I guess he's been fed recently?" Derek and Laura snorted in amusement and nodded, watching the little kit force Deaton to pet him with smiles on their faces. "Any injuries from what you can tell?"

Laura shook her head, reaching out one hand to pet along the white stripe going down Stiles' back and into his tail, watching the fix drop down to the table and move to the other side to steal pets from her and Derek. Deaton looked amused as he picked the little thing up before setting him flat on the table and holding him down with one hand.

Derek smiled when little black paws tried to push himself up again but wasn't big enough against Deaton to do so. He reached out, letting Stiles bat at his fingers to distract him instead while Deaton looked him over.

"From what I can tell he's fine, no broken bones or scratches. Nothing seems to hurt him..." He lifted his hand, bodily turning the little kit onto his back, exposing his dark tummy to the vet and purring into Derek's palm as the hands on him explored his belly, giving it a nice rub and making him a rather contented kit for now.

"He's perfectly fine. And I should know, been his vet for the past ten years now, nothing out of the ordinary. I'll call his dad if the two of you will wait with him?"

Derek and Laura nodded. "Wait, aren't you worried that he's not changing back?"

Deaton smiled at Laura and shook his head. "Like I said, I've been his vet for ten years. Stiles never liked coming out of his full form. Said it makes him feel like losing a part of himself. Not permanently, just until he could go back to full form again. He'll come back out when he feels like it. I have it on good authority that he sleeps in this form most often anyways. He'll probably be most comfortable for right now."

Deaton gave the fox another belly rub, smiling when he tried to trap his hand there with his front paws before quietly extracting himself from the room to call John.

***

John really did break several limits getting to the clinic himself, hopeful that his kit really was in there safe and sound. It'd been days, and even just one day was too many for him.

He wrenched the back door open and stepped into the room looking frantic and wide eyed. The table in the middle of the room was empty and for a moment he felt his heart stop before hearing a tiny yipping noise from the other room and quickly following it.

Derek and Laura were sitting behind Deaton's desk and watching the kit on the desk itself, dizzily chase his own tail in front of them.

"Stiles." The fox stopped, looking up at John and barking loudly before launching himself at him. John caught him and held the little fox up in both hands, looking him all over for scratches or bandages. When he didn't find any he finally lowered his arms, pulling the kit into a tight hug and letting his squirn against his chest with no hope of being let go for at least a few more minutes.

He looked up at the alpha and beta and smiled, "Thank you both, so, so much. I don't know what I would have done one more day without him. Just the thought of it is too painful to bear. Thank you."

They both smiled at him, nodding and standing. "We should get to our hotel room for tonight. Peter is looking forward to seeing us tomorrow. And we're looking forward to him getting out of there so we can finally have the rest of our pack, no matter how small it may be now-"

Laura cut herself off, looking at the kit in John's hands frozenly. "Oh... I guess we're moving back to town then."

John raised an eyebrow at the words. "Why's that? I thought the two of you had jobs and stuff in New York?"

She nodded, still not looking away from Stiles. "Yeah, but Peter never liked big cities... and Stiles is his pack and he's here in Beacon Hills. Guess were going to have to get our stuff packed and shipped here."

She shrugged as if there was nothing to do about it and grabbed her jacket off the back of the chair she was sitting on to put it on.

"Wait." They all looked up at Deaton, coming out from the animal room with a smile on his face. "We actually need to talk about something. Even more so since you and Derek are staying now."

John cringed at that. Deaton may be Stiles' vet and favorite teacher (magic and mythology) but he was kind of shifty sometimes. He narrowed his eyes at him. "About what?"

Deaton sat on the edge of the counter, "Stiles of course. And one of his friends."

John sat in one of the chairs and watched Stiles stand and settle himself comfortably in his lap before petting him. "One of his friends? You mean Scott? Pretty much his only friend."

Deaton tilted his head in consideration. "Last I checked he was friends with most everyone in the school?"

"Yeah, but there's only one person he interacts with on a daily basis other than me. Scott."

Deaton nodded, looking happy at the thought. "Good, then this will be easy I guess. Scott was bitten."

Laura stood up a little straighter and Derek looked uncomfortable. "Wait, there was another alpha in town? When?"

"The same night your uncle woke up." Laura and Derek exchanged looks and Deaton shook his head. "I have a theory about all of this actually. One that make sense if you think about it... I think Stiles accidentally woke him while calling for help."

Stiles perked up from his fathers lap and tilted his head in a move that made John think he was letting him spend too much time with Deaton, if he was picking up things from him. "Yes you, Stiles. You've been missing, going on six days now. Three days ago, Peter Hale woke up, someone who was for all purposes brain dead before now. I have no doubt he would have woken up eventually, but I think you jump started it a little, sending out a call for help after being lost for so long."

Stiles made a face at Deaton as if it say he 'didn't send any stupid call for help you dolt' and pushed into his father's hand to start petting him again.

"Stiles, you've been my student for years. You know fully well that a spark can do magic without ever meaning to. You are a spark, and you were in trouble, needed help. Maybe your subconscious asked for help when the rest of you couldn't."

Stiles paused in his hand nuzzling and looked back up at Deaton in agreement.

"Wait," they all looked at Laura, "what about the alpha? Where did he come from?"

Deaton frowned, "From what I could tell, he was a rouge. Probably lost his pack very recently if he was still alpha. He went down easily enough though, probably been on his own for a while."

Derek looked shocked. "I thought you didn't hunt though?"

Deaton looked uncomfortable again, cringing a little. "Um... the Argent's are back in town."

Derek and Laura looked at Stiles in shock. "You think he sent out a call big enough to cause all of this?"

Deaton bit his lip a little and nodded. "Stiles is a more powerful person than I ever will be and he's barely another right now to be honest. He was out there for quite a while, and I'm pretty sure he was scared out of his wits to be honest. If he needed help, his magic knew how to find it..."

Stiles looked up at the people gazing at him in awe and turned away, embarrassed at the attention, buring his face in his dad's chest to get away from their looks.

"Hmm, no wonder he stayed with Peter so long in the hospital. And I thought it was just because they're both were's and he felt bad for him."

Deaton looked up at John and hummed in question.

"Well, maybe Stiles is building a pack of his own..."

***

They had a plan for having Stiles found in the forest behind John and Stiles' house that night, which didn't involve much more than getting him home and calling his deputies, telling them Stiles had found his way home and didn't remember anything other than wandering.

Riding into the hospital with him in the back of a police cruiser and having a doctor check him out John let himself feel absolutely awful at his own smugness upon seeing the shocked looks on everyone's faces at seeing Stiles alive and kicking.

Stiles himself was just annoyed that he actually had to change back before he had wanted to. But one look at his dad's stern face and 'no nonsense' command to change back and Stiles did with a whimper as his human muscled stretched in a way they hadn't in days.

Well at least feeling like shit right now would help with their story some. You know, if he cared enough right now as it is.

No, no Stiles just wanted to sleep right now. His bedroom (and the dog bed sitting in one of the corners underneath his backpack) was calling to him to come sleep in it. And he was tired as fuck, so mostly the doctors poking and prodding at him made him cranky and pushy, at one point even trying to weakly shove the female doctor poking at his stomach away, saying he was fine just let him sleep.

John easily held his son's weak arms to his sides and let the doctors finish their analysis of him.

When they finally left Stiles and his dad alone in the room Stiles was half asleep in the bed, covers twisted around his squirmy legs and no longer laying on the pillow from his struggles.

John was just about to fix it ll for him and pull up the bed rails so he didn't worm his way off the bed itself before morning (which was barely an hour away, but Stiles was a miracle worker when it came to squirming) when the door opened. He was about to turn and ask for them to leave them alone for a couple of hours for Stiles to get some rest when Melissa came in, holding the door open for two workers bringing in a bed cot. He smiled at that and allowed it for now, busying himself with moving Stiles back up the bed and onto his ignored pillow for him.

Melissa came over and quietly untangled the sheets from Stiles' legs and pulled a heated blanket out of the warmer on the other side of the room. John quietly thanked her, knowing Stiles would be cold for the next few days, having spent so much time recently in his full form.

She tucked him in and smoothed out the wrinkles in the blankets with a sad smile as she watched him drool and snore louder than any teenager had a right to.

"I'm sorry."

John paused a he pulled the wires and tubes out of the way of Stiles' hands so he didn't end up pulling them all out and looked at her. "Why? I have my boy back. Honestly, that's all I ever wanted."

He leaned in and kissed Stiles' forehead with a smile, truly happy to have his little one back, even if it did bring some unexpected consequences with it.

She smiled shakily at him and he could see tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, because I thought he was dead. I thought, maybe you would find the body, or maybe he had run away. I just didn't-" She stopped, choking on the words when tears fell and John took a moment to try to remember why he'd always pitied people who didn't know about the magical world around them. People that lost faith in their children returning to them, days after they were gone. People who just didn't know there were other options than dying...

He couldn't seem to find anything but ironic sympathy for her. Stiles was like a second son to her, but she didn't know that her son had actually been in more danger than his own within the last few days.

He looked back down at Stiles and smiled again. "Don't worry, Melissa. He's okay, and he's his usual cranky tired self. Stop thinking about the past. He's here now, and he'll need you just as much as me."

She smiled at him with watery eyes and nodded, leaning in to kiss Stiles' forehead as well before leaving.

John looked at the bed one more time, before crawling into the cot next to it. He wasn't sure when he finally fell asleep, but it was to thoughts of Stiles, and wondering if he was going to be okay.

***

"Oops. Sorry." John warily opened his eyes and found himself in a brightly lit room (too bad you couldn't turn off the sun...) and squinted at the doorway before sighing.

"Shouldn't you be at lacrosse practice, Scott? School starts in less than a week, if you want to make it on the team it might be good to go."

"Um, John? It's after noon. I got off of practice hours ago. I would have been here earlier and all... um, Laura and Derek were waiting for me and said they wanted to talk..."

John sat up, nodding, "So you're well informed now I take it?"

Scott nodded back, looking just a little bit amazed. "Um, did Stiles really survive in the woods as a fox for nearly a week?"

John raised an eyebrow and nodded, looking to Stiles still dead asleep on the hospital bed and smiled. "Yeah. My little guy is a fighter to be sure. But apparently he's not much of a hunter though. Laura had to catch him a rabbit after finding him."

Scott screwed up his face looking a little green. "Ew, he ate a rabbit?"

John snorted in amusement. "Don't worry, I hear that bitten wolves tend to get a taste for it rather quick."

Scott just stuck his tongue out in disgust at the thought. He smiled when he looked at Stiles in the bed though, more happy than anything to have him back right now.

***

Stiles had woken up to Scott, staring right at him and grinning stupidly like the fucking potato that he was, so his cringe and pulling himself back, nearly flinging himself off of the other side of the bed in the process, was justified in his mind.

Others didn't seem to think so.

He heard a snort from the other side of his bed and looked over to see Derek, Laura and Peter all sitting, Derek and Laura playing cards on the bed his father had probably been sleeping on and Peter watching him with a smirk next to him in a wheelchair.

"Do you really need the wheelchair? I mean, isn't everything okay now?"

Peter shook his head, "Can't look like I'm getting better too fast now can I. Besides, the muscles are still too weak for now to actually do any really good for me. I'll be walking soon enough."

Stiles flipped himself over so he was looking at Peter full on and cocked his head. "Your voice is much nicer than I remember it. Maybe my memory has gotten faulty over the years."

Peter nodded, "Or it could be the fact that you'd only met me a few times when you were younger."

Stiles nodded back. "Maybe that's it... are you happy, being awake and all? I didn't fuck you up too badly did I?"

Peter seemed to think it over for a minute and by now had the attention of everyone else in the room as well. "No... I'm happy being awake again. It's nice to be able to do actual things instead of just beaming about them. I would have woken up eventually, you just kind of helped me there."

Stiles smiled at that. "So I'm not a bad friend then? I did good?"

Peter smiled back, "You did very good Stiles. Thank you."

Laura snorted behind him. "Better take that to heart kiddo, he never says thank you for anything. It's a great honor."

Stiles grinned at her over Peter's scowling face. "Don't worry, I've been with him this long without ever hearing a thank you. I'm just glad to hear him say anything at all."

Stiles laid back in te bed, still feeling tired beyond belief and with a dull throbbing in his head.

But he'd never been happier to be honest.

***

Scott had been surprised when Stiles had suddenly barreled into him after chemistry, looking pained and distraught. "Um, hi?"

Stiles' eyes were wet and Scott was afraid for a moment that he was going to have to drag the fox outside before he had a panic attack in the hallway before he spoke, quiet and full of dispare. "Derek said you don't have a full form. That's horrible. How are you a were if you don't have a full form?"

Scott raised an eyebrow, looking up to see people warily moving around them. (Well to be fair, they actually did that most of the time. The kid with the sudden freaky strength and the other kid who survived in the woods for six days and was thought dead before he was finally found. People tended to steer clear of them for the most part.) He grinned at them hoping to get them to stop giving them weird looks and sighed, pulling Stiles with him to his locker.

"I just am Stiles. I can show you after school if you want?"

Stiles seemed to think about it. It was the first day of school and he still had all of his stuff in his backpack, but Scott seemed determined to get his locker open before the end of the day in each passing period just to prove he could. He watched Scott's hands over the dial and nodded a little. "I guess. Oh! You're a vets assistant, that means you deal with animals all the time. I bet you give foxes the best belly rubs of all time! Yes, this is a good idea. You explain to me how you can survive without a full form and I get belly rubs."

He leaned in, nuzzling at Scott's cheek with his own (something that he had actually always done since he was little, but was much less reserved about it as of late) and ran off in the other direction to get to English before the bell rang. Scott scrunched up his nose and gave up on his locker before he was late too, wondering if Stiles was coming onto him or if belly rubs really were just that great.

***

Turns out, fox kits were actually smaller than Scott had imagined. Stiles was barely three handfuls, and a fast little thing too, darting around the apartment Derek, Laura and Peter were sharing for now (just today having gotten into the actual apartment and gotten Peter out of the hospital) and into the kitchen.

"Oh hello there. I recognize you."

Scott went in after him, smiling when he found Peter standing at the counter (he said standing for a long time helped. Maybe he just didn't want to sit though...) and holding the kit in one hand while the other set down a cutting knife he'd been using to make soup (which is awesome, cause his mom was actually not that good of a cook since she never actually did it much, he had to go over to Stiles' house to get really good home cooked food) and used it to pet the purring little thing.

"He's so little. I didn't think he would be that little."

Peter looked up with a smile, absently handing the yipping kit a bloody piece of red meat and watching him devour it much to Scott's disgust.

"He's very young for someone his species. They live a ridiculously long time because they were created by kitsune spirits. Some people believe this is the form they take before becoming actual kitsune, but I'm not sure about that part. He's very young though, and his form reflects that."

Scott nodded and smiled as the kit squirmed in Peter's arms to get down. Peter just smiled at him, kissed him on the forehead and put him back on the floor, watching him dart away into the living room again.

Scott followed after, wondering if he could cuddle his friend under the guise of belly rubs until it was time to eat.

(He could. He so, totally, could.)

***

"Stiles! Come down, your wolves are here for something!" John yelled up the stairs one morning after opening the front door to find Peter and Scott standing there, looking innocent. It was far too early for their bullshit (and let me tell you, the two of them were good at bullshit) so he simply hollered up the stairs to Stiles and glared at the both of them on his way back to the kitchen.

He heard tiny thumping on the staircase and looked back out the kitchen door to see Stiles trotting up to them, putting his paws on one of each of their knees, and nuzzling into their offered hands for pets. John nearly sighed with how cute his kit was before shaking his head and going back to his coffee.

"If you take him with you at least tell me beforehand so I don't think that my son has gone missing once more... Um, also get his backpack from upstairs, it has everything he needs if he leaves the house as a kit."

Scott nodded and dashed up the stairs, looking excited and proud of himself. John didn't think he wanted to know why.

He walked back into the hallway, smiling when Stiles did the same thing to him, leaning his paws onto John's knee and pushing his head up for pets, and took a long drink of his coffee, thinking about how he needed to get into the office soon before the deputies decided to try to take over for the day.

Stiles dashed away from his knee as soon as Scott made it back into the room and John took a moment to morn the days when daddy's pets were the best thing in the whole wide world (last month actually) and nothing could top them. He was glad that his kit was making supernatural friends, he just missed getting to coddle him all by himself is all.

It's like empty nest syndrome maybe... or empty den in his case.

"What are you all doing today that warranted being up so early?"

Peter picked up the kit, petting him while he answered. "Laura wanted us to have a pack training day. To make sure Scott and me are running up to par and all."

John nodded, smiling at the thought of his kit being included in that. Maybe these guys were worthy of his kits attention anyways.

***

Derek woke up with a jolt, seeing he'd fallen asleep on the couch in the living room and sighed, realizing he needed to get up and go to his own bed before pausing. There was something on him.

He looked down, finding Stiles, fully kitted out and asleep on his chest, purring away with his face tucked into his tail. Derek smiled at his packmate asleep on him and sighed again, knowing he was going to have to pick the kit up to go sleep on his own bed (which really didn't seem very comfortable since it was an oversized dog bed, but Stiles liked it well enough in full form.)

He stood up, one hand on the fox and the other keeping himself steady for now. Stiles startled in his arms, glaring up at him and squirming in his arms. "Sorry, I need to go to my own bed Stiles. Just give me a minute and I'll get you into your own bed."

Stiles growled at that, sounding like a tiny demented moter boat and making Derek smother a laugh. "Okay, what do you want, to go to bed with me then?"

Stiles very clearly shook his head and Derek raised an eyebrow at that. "Um, care to explain?"

Stiles wriggled out of Derek's arms and Derek let him go, watching the fox easily grab a mouthful of Derek's sweats leg and pull. He followed the fox until there were in the corner of the living room standing next to Stiles's dog bed (which Laura had really spoiled him with because it could easily hold ten of him in it with room to spare) and nodded. Derek chuckled and nodded back.

"Okay, just let me shift and we can sleep here." Derek stripped the clothes he was wearing off and shifted, before pausing when he saw a dart of red go past him. Wait a second.

He followed the dart of red into Peter's room, (which seemed to always have a kit sized opening in it for some reason...) and looked at the bed that Stiles seemed determained to climb. (And he could probably do it too if he wasn't small enough to walk underneath the bed itself without crouching down in the slightest.) Derek huffed and grabbed the fox by the scruff of it's neck, before jumping onto the bed itself, making Peter jolt awake and sit up. Derek neatly deposited the kit in his lap in hopes that he wouldn't kill him for waking him up and stepped back a little.

Peter looked down at the fox and frowned. "What did I ever do to you to make you hate me so much?" The fox just nuzzled into his neck comfortingly before taking off again, making a daring leap off the end of the bed and running out the door before either could protest.

Peter looked like he was contemplating going back to sleep and Derek whuffled a little at him, grabbing his pajama arm and pulling.

By the time the two of them made it back into the hallway, Laura was already sleepily following Stiles out of her room, looking a little peeved at being woken up but allowing it for now since he was so damn cute while he did it.

Derek pushed Peter in front of him, nudging the back of his leg while Stiles pulled Laura, making her tiredly walk into the living room after him, mumbling about how it was one in the damn morning and she didn't need to deal with this shit right now.

This time when Stiles pointedly told (but not quite) them to transform so they could have a puppy pile on his soft comfy doggy bed, he had Derek at his side, looking pleadingly up at them as well.

Turns out, Derek and Stiles had puppy dog eyes down very well (which may or may not have something to do with the fact that they were both dogs at the moment. It also might be because Peter and Laura are pushovers sometimes.)

Turns out, puppy piles are the best thing to ever happen in Stiles' little fury life so far. He happily laid on Peter's side while Derek curled into Peter's and Laura's much larger wolf form wrapped around all of them. Stiles just couldn't keep his eyes open if he tried.

***

Turns out, Scotty got jealous very easily, and did not let Stiles go for about a day and a half (including their time at school) while he got over the injustice of not being included in exclusive night time pack cuddles.

Stiles promised to add him in next time, no matter how much his wolfed out form gave him the creeps, Stiles might not be all that immune to Scott's puppy eyes either.

He was kind of a natural.


End file.
